Resande Man

Three hundred and fifty-two years ago today, the Swedish warship Resande Man sank near Stockholm while en route to Poland. Embarked aboard the Resande Man was Count Karl Kristopher von Schlippenbach who had been dispatched on a diplomatic mission to Poland. Count Schlippenbach was charged with negotiating an alliance with Poland against Russia and the Resande Man was carrying royal treasure to help aid diplomatic discussions.

The wreck of Resande Man proved King Solomon’s axiom that there is nothing new under the sun. Swedish legend states that the ship’s captain, much like the Costa Concordia’s Francesco Schettino, was focused on a woman he had taken aboard and thus failed to tend to the proper navigation of the ship. The captain’s negligence led to the Resande Man foundering in a strong storm on November 26, 1660. While 37 onboard perished, 25 were able to make it to dry land.

Despite salvage efforts on the ship in 1661, the ship is rumored to still contain a rich cargo. Because of this, she has achieved mythical status in Swedish maritime circles, much akin to the Merchant Royalin Great Britain. Divers believe they have found the ship and conducted several dives on the ship earlier this year. The Resande Man was featured on a map compiled by Anders Franzen (see below), the discoverer of the Vasa, and if the wreck is indeed the Resande Man, then the final wreck on the map has been located.